Role Profile: New Customer Advisor

Accountable to: Regional Customer Account Manager

Accountable for: N/A

Overall purpose of the role:

  1. Work with potential Curo customers to ensure they fully understand the obligations of the tenancy agreement and Curo’s expectations and are able to comply with this.
  1. Provide benefit, debt and income maximisation advice/casework to potential Curo customers, with the ambition of getting more money in their pockets, thus enabling them to have successful tenancies.
  1. Work proactively with colleagues across Curo to embed an understanding of the benefit system, debt and financial capability.
  1. Support the Customer Accounts and Lettings teamsto provide a good level of advice and have a resource to provide more detailed/specialist advice.
  1. Demonstrate a return for the organisation and its tenants.

Corporate responsibilities:

  1. Work with colleagues and so that the business is seen as a fair, caring, trusting, respectful and open organisation which values its customers and its people and retains and attracts the best talent.
  1. Be aware of and act at all times within Curo’s rules, policies, procedures, standing orders, financial regulations, health and safety legislation, and adhere to legislative and regulatory requirements.

Service responsibilities:

  1. Provide a casework service to potential customerscovering the full range of pre-tenancy, debt and benefits advice, obtaining positive outcomes.
  1. Maintain accurate records recording all actions and activities undertaken and outcomes achieved, for the purpose of continuity of casework, information retrieval, statistical monitoring, and report preparation.
  1. Create positive, beneficial and effective working relationships with stakeholders such as Local Authorities, support providers, charities and advice agencies in our areas of operation.
  1. Promote an understanding of income maximisation to colleagues, residents, and external stakeholders.
  1. Agree key performance targets with the line manager and actively work to achieve these.
  1. Prepare reports for the line manager as requested.
  1. Contribute to the Lettings and Customer Accounts Teams and play an active and visible role in the overall success of the business.
  1. Work with Neighbourhood managers to support their objectives for their neighbourhoods, provide data and analysis in relation to money management and debt advice, and support initiatives and partnerships which benefit their neighbourhoods.
  1. Support colleagues by providing a specialist resource for more detailed and intensive advice to individual customers: assess the need and signpost or provide access to other specialist services where appropriate.
  1. Keep abreast of changes to benefit legislation, consumer credit law and regulation and ensure that these are understood within the Directorate.
  1. Provide knowledge and a database of external advice agencies for colleagues that will enable appropriate referrals and advice to customers.
  1. Advise on appropriate tools, principally IT and web resources that will support colleagues internally and will benefit customers through website and other external communications.
  1. Lead on the development of procedures for benefit advice and income maximisation, including processes to ensure compliance with customer requirements, legislation and good practice.

Person Specification:

Qualifications

  • Educated to A level or equivalent and with a good standard of literacy and numeracy commensurate with the role.

Experience

  • Evidence of effectively supporting and enabling customers.
  • Proven track record of effective working relationships and provision of high-quality customer focused services.
  • Experience of conveying complex information to varying audiences.
  • Good understanding of the benefit system, with particular reference to housing related benefits. Understanding the principles of debt advice and able to undertake casework.
  • Evidence of successful influencing and negotiation skills.
  • Evidence of being a team player who can support and promote the business plan and strategic priorities.

Skills

  • Ability to plan and co-ordinate the collation of information in order to meet strict deadlines.
  • Ability to produce clear, accurate reports on complex issues to a variety of audiences.
  • Ability to prioritise and manage a complex and busy case-load.
  • Good IT skills.
  • Excellent communication skills, providing and receiving complex, sensitive and/or contentious information with the ability to engage people at all levels.
  • Sound decision maker and negotiator.
  • Ability to take responsibility and ownership for learning and development, keeping abreast of current affairs relating to financial capability, debt and benefits.
  • Ability to demonstrate commitment to promoting equality & diversity in the workplace.

May 20151